Imola WSBK: Chatter return causes problems for Melandri

Melandri has two more sessions to cure his problems
Picture: Paul Sturman

Factory BMW’s Marco Melandri is again suffering from the same chatter and lack of front end feel from his S1000RR that rattled his fillings pre-season but still managed to qualify within a second of provisional pole man Jakub Smrz at the Imola World Superbike round this afternoon.

The former MotoGP front-runner had the same issues during testing at Phillip Island but overcame them to stand on the podium. Melandri tried various setup changes but couldn’t find a definitive answer. He has two more sessions to come up with a solution before Superpole tomorrow.

“It was not an easy day. In the morning, the balance was okay, but unfortunately we were struggling with some chattering in the afternoon. We tried to fix it but went the wrong way. In the end it was difficult and I could not go into the corners optimally. That is why I made some mistakes in the more difficult parts of the track, for example at Acque Minerale and it was also difficult for me to go into the second chicane. We will now analyse the data and we will try some modifications for tomorrow, for example regarding weight distribution," said the Italian.